Got Pulled Over Because My Passenger Wasnt Wearing A Helmet.

[Thongkorn]

Sad to hear you have lost 200baht. My condolences, you only made one mistake , Being a falang in Thailand . See The police are continuing to make friends and influence the Falang tourist to come to the land of smiles in ressesion.

Being a Farang was not the mistake, not knowing the law was. Driver and passenger must wear a helmet. You can choose to wear a helmet and have no problems or you can choose to not wear one and risk being stopped and fined. You decide.

Are you suggesting that Farangs should be exempt from the law? Or is it that you think it is some sort of persecution of Farangs? As far as I see it, Farangs are generally less likely to be stopped, but it is still a posibility.

As i understand it the passenger does not need a helmet . as i have been told many times by the Phuket police. Maybe things have changed,

Maybe The helmets should be up to the job because the ones i see are just for show,There should be a safety standard which should be worn by the police as an example. Edited January 29, 2010 by Thongkorn

[WinnieTheKhwai]

If I had a loved one, one motorcycle and only one helmet for some reason, then the loved one would get it.

nuff said.

Edited January 30, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[OZEMADE]

I would have also booked you for not making your passenger wear a helmet.

[IanForbes]

Red means stop. Go figure.

You and I BOTH know that is only a generalization in Thailand, Kevin. If you try and stop, then you can be sure that someone in the truck behind you didn't plan on stopping. I'm ALWAYS worried when approaching a stale green light that might change to red. Invariably the cars and bikes behind you speed up in hopes of making it through. Then, there are the guys on scooters who always jump the red light before it turns to green. It's a disaster waiting to happen and I see it all the time. In fact, if there is any amount of traffic on the road there will ALWAYS be a group of vehicles trailing through a red light long after it changed from green.

[KevinHunt]

Red means stop. Go figure.

You and I BOTH know that is only a generalization in Thailand, Kevin. If you try and stop, then you can be sure that someone in the truck behind you didn't plan on stopping. I'm ALWAYS worried when approaching a stale green light that might change to red. Invariably the cars and bikes behind you speed up in hopes of making it through. Then, there are the guys on scooters who always jump the red light before it turns to green. It's a disaster waiting to happen and I see it all the time. In fact, if there is any amount of traffic on the road there will ALWAYS be a group of vehicles trailing through a red light long after it changed from green.

Yes, stopping for a red light can be dangerous. I sometimes stop for green lights, especially late at night. Even if a light has been green for 10 seconds or more, at night, a group of young kids on bikes may come roaring through.

Don't take green for granted after midnight.

 It's a disaster happening!!! 

Edited January 31, 2010 by KevinHunt

[db1tau]

The color of the light is less important than the fact whether you are alone or in a big group with other cars.

If there is a big group passing the lights together with me, then I just go with them or stop with them. This usually means jumping the first seconds of red light.

If there are no other vehicles around me, I carefully look for the traffic crossing my way and go if I can, no matter if the lights are red or green.

This also applies when I'm the first one who starts after the lights turn green. Sometimes there are still cars crossing who jumped the red light. Be careful!

[KevinHunt]

The color of the light is less important than the fact whether you are alone or in a big group with other cars.

If there is a big group passing the lights together with me, then I just go with them or stop with them. This usually means jumping the first seconds of red light.

If there are no other vehicles around me, I carefully look for the traffic crossing my way and go if I can, no matter if the lights are red or green.

This also applies when I'm the first one who starts after the lights turn green. Sometimes there are still cars crossing who jumped the red light. Be careful!

Quite right, they are the unwritten rules of Thai driving. The only one that annoys me are the guys tail-gating the red light who end up blocking the intersection for the guys who have green. This happens every day at the lights coming into town just after Nawarat Bridge, in front of the Governor's House. That is why I always make a point of being in the left-most lane which normally only has Bikes and Tuk-tuks. If I'm lucky, I can still squeeze past while the light is still green!!?? 

Edited January 31, 2010 by KevinHunt

[Gonsalviz]

A lot more Thais get pulled over than farangs!

You pay double the fine for "on the spot fine" instead of wasting your valuble farang time at the police station.

And yes your 5year DL acts as ID card.

If you have a 5 year DL it's better than carrying your passport with all the time.

Showing my stateside DL and no passport has been no problem anywhere in Thailand. And Trust me I get stopped a lot. Sometimes for speeding but mostly because they are looking for coffee money.

[KevinHunt]

 

Showing my stateside DL and no passport has been no problem anywhere in Thailand. And Trust me I get stopped a lot. Sometimes for speeding but mostly because they are looking for coffee money.

That was always the case for me with my British driving licence ('better still', you'd think). However, I was stopped at a police road block coming back from Chaing Rai a few years ago and he pointed out that I should either have an International Drivers licence or a Thai drivers licence. I was reaching into my pocket to get the money to pay for the fine ("fair cop", I thought) but unfortunately for him we had been done the day before for going through a red light (it was only just red, but once again - fair cop) and so my wife was having none of it.

   She started giving the policeman a fair piece of her views on Chiang Rai hospitality, or the lack thereof, and after about 5 minutes of that he handed her back my licence and sent us on our way. What guy wants to argue with a woman in full flow? It doesn't matter that he was right, he knew he was in for an earfull, so he did what any self-respecting male would do ... he gave up!!!

   I did get a licence after that, mainly because I don't always have the missus with me. It is invaluable as an ID card too.

   Another thing worth thinking about ... how would it affect an insurance claim? No valid licence, technically?  

Edited February 8, 2010 by KevinHunt

[Gonsalviz]

Showing my stateside DL and no passport has been no problem anywhere in Thailand. And Trust me I get stopped a lot. Sometimes for speeding but mostly because they are looking for coffee money.

That was always the case for me with my British driving licence ('better still', you'd think). However, I was stopped at a police road block coming back from Chaing Rai a few years ago and he pointed out that I should either have an International Drivers licence or a Thai drivers licence. I was reaching into my pocket to get the money to pay for the fine ("fair cop", I thought) but unfortunately for him we had been done the day before for going through a red light (it was only just red, but once again - fair cop) and so my wife was having none of it.

She started giving the policeman a fair piece of her views on Chiang Rai hospitality, or the lack thereof, and after about 5 minutes of that he handed her back my licence and sent us on our way. What guy wants to argue with a woman in full flow? It doesn't matter that he was right, he knew he was in for an earfull, so he did what any self-respecting male would do ... he gave up!!!

I did get a licence after that, mainly because I don't always have the missus with me. It is invaluable as an ID card too.

Another thing worth thinking about ... how would it affect an insurance claim? No valid licence, technically?

After an accident I had the insurance company at no time ever asked me for a driving license. That may not hold true all the time though, it rarely does in Thailand.